Ardgour

The heritage value of Ardgour lies in its association with local tailor, James MacLeod, its association with Lieutenant Governor Bradford W. LePage (1876-1958) and its importance to the Fitzroy Street streetscape.

The land on which Ardgour stands was originally part of an estate referred to as Holland Grove. The estate belonged to the son of surveyor Samuel Holland, John Frederick Holland. He rented the home on the estate to the Government for use as a residence for the Lieutenant Governor from 1826-1834. The estate eventually came into the possession of the Grubb family, however in 1865, they left to go back to England. Subsequently, the home was dismantled and the estate was subdivided into building lots. A successful Charlottetown tailor, James MacLeod, bought one of the lots and built the current, three-storey home on the land. He eventually sold the home to lawyer, A.A. MacLean. It is unclear when the home was named Ardgour but when MacLean offered the home for sale in 1915, the home was listed as Ardgour. Most likely, it was named for a place in Scotland near Loch Linnhe with Clan MacLean associations.

A later resident of Ardgour was Lieutenant Governor Bradford LePage. He moved to Charlottetown from Rusticoville in 1920. LePage was a merchant and President of the LePage Shoe Company Ltd. in Charlottetown. In 1919, he entered politics where he served under Premier Saunders and Premier Thane Campbell. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor on 1 October 1939 and served until 30 May 1945. One of his more memorable actions as Lieutenant Governor was in 1945, when he refused to grant Royal Assent to the Cullen Amendment, which eventually would end Prohibition on Prince Edward Island.

In an area with many large extravagant heritage homes, as well as a large office complex, Ardgour plays an important role in supporting the heritage ambiance of the Fitzroy Street streetscape.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2

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